Calluna

by Jewels Arthur

  When Jake came to me, he was in horrible shape. It was as if he were being forced into being another species, and he would flash and semi-shift into each animal. He was one of the first animals I found when this all started, and I tried my hardest to save him. I read articles and found books about dark magic, but I left it too late. Or maybe I just didn’t perform the spells correctly, and now poor Jake is stuck in a non-stop cycle of species. He mostly just falls somewhere between horse and cat though, when he isn’t being a monkey. Another unlucky creature that I was only able to partially remove the curse from. Stuck with a species disorder, Jake believes that he is several different animals, and I have yet to find a way to help him. Though, he fits in well in my land of misfit pets.

  I lie down on my bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to focus on what has happened to me over the past few days. I can’t help the ache in my chest at the thought of the dog Damian and Rhett found being tortured to death. The image of the Australian Shepherd mix lying on the table in my shop is burned into my memory, and I squeeze my eyes tightly closed to try to force the image out. I ignore the movement on the bed as Jake jumps off and goes into the other room. A nap, that’s what I need, I think, settling into the bed on my side and pulling my blanket up under my chin and between my legs. The bed shifts again as Jake jumps back onto the bed, and I groan.

  “On or off, make your decision,” I say loudly, keeping my eyes closed. Jake begins chirping, sounding like a mix of his monkey self and the sounds a cat makes when it sees a squirrel outside. I crack an eye open to glare at him when I see what’s in his hands.

  Love Blooms by C.C. Pine.

  I look at the cover, shaking my head again at the ridiculousness of it all. “Where did you get that?” I scold gently, hating when he digs through my purse. He makes the chirping noise again, pushing the book towards me, and I grab it. “Why not?” I say out loud, speaking to no one in particular.

  I skim through the pages, reading the dedication to the author’s sweetheart, and I roll my eyes. I don’t feel like a story right now, I need the business, like when you’re a kid and you smack your Barbie and Ken dolls together. I need that, so I skim through to find some of the raunchier bits of the story. As I read, I find my eyes feeling heavier and heavier, until I feel the book hit my chest as I fall asleep.

  Landyn

  My chest clenches as I feel a sudden pull, an irresistible pull out of my apartment, as if someone has connected a string to my chest, but I begin to feel unrelenting fear. Shani. Could she still have influence over me? I search frantically for my phone, finding it on my nightstand where I left it. I slide my finger across the touch screen and scroll through my messages, searching for my buddy Adam’s name. He works at Silver Springs Penitentiary in the section Shani is kept in.

  Landyn: Any news?

  I text him, waiting on pins and needles for a reply. Within seconds, a text flashes on my screen as my phone vibrates in my hand.

  Adam: No news. She was moved to a fortified cell to prevent her from trying to manipulate the guards. Are you okay?

  Landyn: I’m good. Thanks, man.

  I shove my phone into my pocket and let out a deep breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I flex my fingers, feeling awkward that I flipped out just now. Shani is in a cell, and she will be for a long time. There is no way she could be using any kind of magic from this distance anyway. The penitentiary is several miles outside of town, and not even she could perform anything from that distance.

  I pull out my cell again and look at my calendar, seeing if I work tonight and feeling relief that I do. Anything to get me out of the house, even if it is forced interaction. I walk over to my dresser and grab a pair of jeans and pull them onto my body, thinking of the last time I was in Vee the night before last—spending the night with Calluna. I wince as I feel that tugging sensation again, shaking it off to horniness as I think about her thick waist and the way her big tits jiggled as I slammed into her.

  Fuck. I sure do know how to scare them off, how to make myself completely closed off so that I spend the rest of my days alone. Is that what I truly want? To avoid ever feeling anything for anyone? To avoid giving anyone any kind of power over me, so that I never feel like I did when Shani took over my mind again? A life of one-night stands, of fear and anxiety? Shit. Just when I think I can’t get more fucked up I manage to top myself.

  I pull on a simple black t-shirt and splash water on my face, trying to pull myself from this messed up headspace before I get to Vee. Reggie will smell the fear and anguish on me from a mile away, and then he’ll send my ass home. Not to be an asshole, but because he doesn’t want distracted workers. Anyone that isn’t one hundred percent focused would piss off the Whitakers because it could put Rose at risk. Rose, who will have questions about Calluna and look at me all too knowingly. I let out another deep breath and walk to my door, pulling it open with plans to grab something to eat before heading to Vee. Anything to get out of this fucking house where I am ambushed by my thoughts.

  I walk into one of the diners in town, Yes, Now Bob, and take a seat in one of the booths. I never used to feel comfortable coming to a restaurant and eating by myself. Now, I find myself never wanting company, but also, never wanting to be alone.

  A waitress walks over to me and asks what I want, and I order the first thing I see on the menu—a burger and fries. I look up when I hear a loud yell.

  “More ice cream, Bob!” a woman with dark brown hair yells as she sits at the counter with what looks to be a full bowl of ice cream. A sharply dressed man beside her chuckles, bringing a small teacup up to his lips. “Do you know what I’d like to do with this ice cream, Ford?” she asks the well-dressed man abruptly, getting very close to his face.

  “I can only imagine, Sapphire,” he replies with a smile.

  “I’d love to slather it all over your cock and asshole, then lick you clean,” she says sultrily, and it makes even my cock twitch just picturing the image in my mind.

  “Let’s wait for Bob, then we can leave together,” Ford responds, his voice sounding considerably deeper.

  “Mmmmmm,” she moans, placing another large bite into her mouth. “A Bob and Ford ice cream sammich. Yes, now Bob!”

  I draw my attention back to my own table, pulling out my phone to scroll through Screech. Nothing catches my attention, but I continue to scroll, wanting to concentrate on something other than the loud woman describing what she’d do to whom I can only assume are her mates with ice cream. The waitress returns, placing my plate in front of me and smiling widely.

  “You’re one of the bouncers at Vee, aren’t you?” she asks, as she pours more water into my cup. I nod to her, forcing a smile on my lips.

  “I’ve seen you there before. Will you be there tonight?” She asks the question while fluttering her eyelashes, like she’s having some kind of attack, although I think it’s meant to be flirty.

  “Yeah, I’ll be working tonight,” I reply as I reach across the table to grab the ketchup, hoping she’ll take the hint that I’m trying to eat and leave.

  “I’m surprised your girlfriend wouldn’t want to eat lunch with you before you have to head off to work. Unless she’s working now too?” she pushes, and I force my eyes to not roll.

  “No girlfriend,” I answer curtly.

  “What a shame,” she says in a tone that doesn’t match the words. I just nod, taking a large bite of my burger. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight, I plan to head to Vee when I get off at eight.”

  I force another smile and nod, my mouth full of burger. She smiles back and turns on her heel, heading back to the kitchen. The food feels like gravel in my mouth as I continue to listen to the woman, that I’ve learned is called Sapphire, talk inappropriately to her mate. I slam money on the table and walk out, deciding that solitude is what I need. I move to the forest that borders the back of the restaurant, closing my eyes and concentrating on shifting. I feel the sharp prick as feathers and fur emerge from my skin, then I drop to all
fours as I turn into a griffin.

  Calluna

  I wake up and realize that I’ve slept most of the morning and afternoon away. The setting sun in my window shines directly into my eyes, and I rub my face, trying to wake up. I push the book away from me and hear it drop to the floor. Shit. I lean over the edge and begin looking for it, only to have my hand bit by Lina. She slithers away like a snake, then leaps up onto the dresser to curl up in a ball. “What the fuck, Lina?” I growl at another one of my misfit pets, throwing a small pillow at her and causing her to caw at me like a crow. I shake my head and get out of the bed, throwing my hair up in a more presentable ponytail and changing my clothes.

  Rushing from my apartment, I pause and take a second to think about why I am in such a rush in the first place. I shake my head slowly, as if trying to rattle my brain around and get it to work. The pull I feel to leave my apartment is strong, and my time doing magic has taught me that you always follow the pull. I look at my cellphone to see if Lars texted about any issues at the store and sigh in relief when I see that my text messages show zero.

  The sun has gotten so low in the sky that it is fast becoming dark, but I continue to speed walk down the street, still unsure of my destination but determined to get there. When I turn onto the street that my store lies on, I feel frustration until my feet take me to a different place. Black Moon Magick. I push the door open without a second thought and feel myself relax perceptibly once I get inside. I look around to see Falcar sitting in an armchair in the corner of the room, incense smoke billowing in small, wispy clouds beside him, a book in his hands. The bell welcoming me into the store rings quietly, which draws his eyes up.

  “Calluna.” He says my name like a greeting, and I cringe a bit.

  “Falcar,” I reply, avoiding his gaze and looking around his store.

  He smiles at me, and even though he is clearly attractive, I find myself unnerved. “I knew you’d come back.”

  “Did you?” I ask with a frown. “Because I didn’t.”

  “I didn’t realize that your partner didn’t know what you were,” Falcar says, gently closing his book and setting it on the dark wood table beside him. “I’d assumed that you had shared that part of yourself with him. You seem close.”

  “He knows I have elven heritage, but that’s all. Changelings aren’t welcomed in the supernatural community, as you well know.” The words leave my lips in a biting tone, and I take a deep breath to try to calm myself.

  “Hmmm…” he hums, looking at me with a frown of his own. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of your nature.”

  I squeeze the bundle of sage in my hand tightly. “We don’t all live on the dark side so freely.” I pause, gently setting the sage back down. “Has anyone else come in?”

  Falcar walks closer to me, inspecting the sage before arranging them back in a line. “Would you appreciate me sharing your time here with others?”

  “No, I don’t suppose I would,” I admit.

  “Then why should I divulge the activities of others?”

  A growl leaves my lips as I pivot on my heels. “Someone is cursing animals in town, and I’m trying to stop it. If you protect that kind of evil bastard, I can only assume that you’re evil yourself.”

  He steps forward and is in my face in an instant. “Do not question me, little girl,” he snarls into my face.

  I eye him warily, until I see his face relax a bit and that stupid smile crosses his lips again. Frowning, I push him back. “I have been trying to remove the curses from them, but I never get it completely right. Something is always left over.”

  He turns away from me and walks over to a cabinet by the wall. “Well, it doesn’t sound like you’re a very good witch then, changeling.”

  “No shit.” A sigh leaves my lips as I step toward him. “I just started this when the first cursed animal came to my store. My cat, Lina. Mine, because no one will adopt her. She came into the store with evil inside her. It radiated off her in waves and made me want to do horrible things. The woman that brought her in, an elderly woman that lived outside of town, she said that the cat made her kill her son. She gave me the cat, then turned herself in to the police. It was the strangest thing. The police found no reason to pursue anything having to do with the cat though. They said that the woman was crazy.”

  “How do you know she wasn’t?” Falcar demands, looking at me like I’m foolish.

  “Because I fucking felt it, too. I went home and found a book that my grandmother had left me and did the first spell I could find. So now I have a cat that fluctuates between whatever fucking species she thinks she is at the time.”

  Falcar begins laughing like it’s the funniest damn thing he’s ever heard, and I glare at him. “I’m sorry,” he says through belly laughs. “Are all the animals like this now?”

  “No. Though, I do have a monkey named Jake with a very similar condition. But I also have a dog shitting glitter all over the damn place, a fucking guinea pig that loses all its fur every full moon, then starts feasting on other fucking rodents! There is a turtle that fucking explodes when he gets scared. Boom, all over the damn place. I’m becoming known for selling fucked up animals,” I spit out.

  “How do the animals come to you?” Falcar asks, barely suppressing another laugh.

  “All the same. Dark as fuck.” As I say the words, a shiver runs through me as I think back to how it felt each time another one of them would enter the shop. “There is another thing. A shifter, he was attacked the other night. Same black smoke.” I rehash the night with Damian and Rhett, explaining everything I did.

  “Here.” He opens a cabinet and pulls out a large book and a few bottles. He walks over to another cabinet and grabs a small bag and begins to stuff herbs into it. He carries all the items to the counter and puts them in a plain brown bag like I’m buying porn or something.

  “How much?” I ask, pulling my wallet from my purse.

  “Nothing,” he says, giving me that fucking scary smile again. “Let’s just call it the start of a lucrative partnership.”

  “Why does it feel like I’m making a deal with the devil?” I ask as I slowly grab the bag before leaving the store, ignoring his laughter following me out.

  Rhett

  Damian jumps up, barely awake, searching the room for predators when I move from the bed. I put a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. “It’s okay. I just have to go to the bathroom,” I say soothingly.

  He nods slowly, looking me over carefully. “How are you feeling?”

  “I’m okay, other than a full bladder,” I say as I try to pull away again, so he smiles and lets me go. I walk out of the room, feeling strange on my feet as I step on the floor. One look at the clock tells me that we slept the whole day and into the night. I pee and return to my bedroom, smiling at the sight of Damian on my bed.

  “What happened last night?” I ask, still worried about the events that played out. “You said that we’d talk about it when we got here, but I’m assuming we were both too tired.”

  “Someone cursed you. I thought you were going to die.” He shivers involuntarily. “If it weren’t for Calluna, you probably would have.”

  “What about the dog?” I ask. The image of the dog on the stone flashes through my mind, fear and pain lancing my chest at the memory.

  “He didn’t make it,” Damian says quietly, his face masked in sadness.

  “What? No!” I gasp, putting my face in my hands. “I need to see. I need to see him.”

  “See him? Rhett, I left him at Calluna’s. He was dead shortly after we arrived.”

  “We need to go there.” Jumping out of bed, I rush to the dresser and grab some clean clothes, not feeling up to shifting.

  “It’s late. We can go to the store tomorrow. Come back to bed,” Damian insists, his eyes pleading with me, but I shake my head sternly.

  “I need to do this, Damian.” I stare into his eyes imploringly.

  “Fuck,” he grumbles, dragging a hand down his fa
ce. “Fine. Let me text Calluna first, make sure she’s even awake.”

  “Text?” I ask with a quirk of my brow. “I didn’t realize we were on texting terms with her.”

  “We aren’t, I am. She gave me her cell number before we left her store, in case anything else happened with you.” Damian shakes his head, looking down as he types out something on his phone. Odd, but I feel no spark of jealousy. Should I? Neither of us is truly gay, nor truly straight for that matter. We just are what we are. We want what we want, and right now, we want each other. He could leave me for a woman at any time. Could that woman be Calluna? Lost in my thoughts, I jump a bit when his phone makes the loud ding, indicating a text back.

  “What’d she say?” I ask, feeling eagerness fill me.

  “She said she’s close to the store and that she’ll meet us there,” he says, typing out another message before pocketing his phone. When he looks back up, his eyes meet mine. “What?” he asks, looking at me questioningly.

  “Nothing,” I say, then pull him towards me and press my lips to his. “Let’s go.”

  I find myself speed walking through town, and Damian is right there with me, step for step. “Where’s the fire, Rhett?” he asks, continuing to keep up with my pace.

  “I’m not sure,” I say honestly. Is this all about a dog? A dog that I’d never seen before nor truly remember? Damian just nods and reaches out to grab my hand in his. I squeeze his strong hand in my own, feeling comfort in his presence. As we get closer to the store, I feel the urge to run, but I squash it down. I don’t want to bust into the place like a maniac and scare her.

  I see her in the window from the street, and it suddenly feels as if my chest could explode. She stands there in black leggings paired with a black tank top that has a cat on it giving the finger. Her hair is up in a ponytail, but long, blackish brown strands fall every which way, and I have the urge to push them behind her ear. Is this the woman I saw this morning while I was in a daze? I remember her being beautiful, but this, this kind of beauty makes me want to drop to my knees and cry. It makes me want to claw at my chest to remove the offending organ that beats far too fast, that aches at the thought of not being able to drag my fingers against her cheek or even to just speak to her.